


i'm sorry that i hurt you

by meredithflynn



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cute, Fluff, Innocent Louis, M/M, Nick is a dick, Pining, Possessive Harry, Protective Harry, harry is a bit of an idiot, harry thinks louis cheated but he didn't, it's a big misunderstanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:20:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24180460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meredithflynn/pseuds/meredithflynn
Summary: harry and louis get into a fight right before louis' trip to londonaka a re-conceptualization of a part from green_feelings' 'for as long as i can remember (it's been december)'
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 8
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [For As Long As I Can Remember (It's Been December)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15051122) by [green_feelings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_feelings/pseuds/green_feelings). 



It was a warm, sunny Sunday and Louis was inside painting.

For his midterm project, he'd decided to paint Harry's eyes. They were something that had always fascinated Louis - the way the light reflected off them, the way they changed colors as Harry's mood changed, the warmth Louis felt when he looked into them - Harry's eyes were mesmerizing and Louis decided they were perfect for his project.

Recently, Louis had signed up for an online university art class. He'd wanted to study art in uni, but his family wasn't in a very good financial place so he'd decided to study a subject that would more likely get him a stable, well-paying job. However, now that he and Harry both earned a good amount of money, he decided to once again pursue his passion.

He'd set up his easel in the living room and was sitting on a high stool, paint palette in one hand and paintbrush in the other, humming along to a song playing on the radio as he painted.

Suddenly, Harry popped up from behind him and screamed directly into Louis' ear, making the smaller boy shriek and drop his palette and paintbrush. The scream was followed by a loud cackle, and Louis turned around to glare at his boyfriend. "Hazzie! That was so mean!"

"Sorry, babe." Harry did not sound sorry at all as he smirked. "You're just too cute when you get scared."

Louis huffed and folded his arms, further proving Harry's point. "But I was _painting_. Now look, you made me get paint all over my clothes!"

Indeed, Louis' clothes were now splattered with paint. His upper body was protected by the old shirt (stolen from Harry) he wore whenever he painted, but his jeans were covered in green paint. 

"Oopsie. Well, I'll wash them for you."

Louis pouted. "What if the stains don't come out? I wanted to take them to London."

Harry cooed at Louis' pout. "Don't worry, little one. You underestimate the power of laundry detergent and stain removers. Now, c'mon, take your pants off."

"Wait - I need to go get a new pair first." Louis hopped off his chair and narrowly missed landing on a patch of paint. "I have to clean the floor too," Louis whined. "Hazzie, you're so mean."

"I'm _sorryyyy_." Harry, again, did not seem sorry. "You're too adorable and cute and I'll clean up everything if you stop being mad at me."

"Hmph." Louis began walking up the stairs, with Harry following. "Fine. You're lucky none of the paint got on the painting, or else I'd be _very_ mad at you."

"Mhmm." Harry opened their bedroom door for Louis and waited by the door as Louis rummaged around for a pair of sweatpants. "Are you excited for London?"

"Of course!" Louis pulled out a pair of gray sweatpants and took off his paint-splattered jeans, pulling on the sweats. "It's gonna be so fun."

Even though Louis was just an online student, Louis' teacher had thought he was really talented and offered to let him go to London for a two-week art course along with some of the actual uni students. Louis had, of course, accepted and had been really excited for the trip. Art had always been his passion and he was so happy that he was finally getting the chance to pursue it.

"I'm going to miss you, though," Harry said sadly, taking the dirty jeans from Louis. "Two weeks without my little Lou. And you're leaving on Tuesday - I only have a couple more days with my baby until he's going all the way to London without me."

"Don't be sad, Hazzie. 'm gonna miss you too." Louis got on his tiptoes to kiss Harry on the nose. "But we'll FaceTime every day, right?"

"Of course." Harry ruffled Louis' soft hair. "I'd hug you if your shirt wasn't covered in paint... now keep on painting, I'll take care of your jeans." He kissed Louis on the forehead before going downstairs to the washing machine.

The next morning, Harry woke up with a tiny boy curled up in his arms. He'd woken up like that for several years now, but he still felt so lucky every morning. Louis could probably get whoever he wanted, yet he'd chosen to stay with Harry.

"Lou, wake up." Harry jostled the smaller boy, laughing quietly when Louis whined and clutched at Harry's shirt tightly. "Boo, c'mon."

"Harry... _no_."

"We need to go to work, honey." Harry placed a few kisses onto the top of Louis' head, smiling as the fluffy hair tickled his face. 

"Hmmm." Louis reached up to wrap his arms around Harry's neck and hide his face in Harry's neck. "No."

Harry chuckled softly, stroking Louis' hair for a while before reaching down to support Louis' bum and carrying him out of bed. Louis whined in protest but clung to Harry harder as the taller boy carried them into the bathroom, setting Louis down next to the sink.

"Hazzie, come back." Louis pouted when the warmth of Harry left him, reaching his arms out. 

"Babe, we gotta get ready for work," Harry chided, handing Louis his toothbrush and poking Louis' pouty lips. "C'mon."

Louis sulked for a few seconds and took the toothbrush. "Fine."

The two got ready together and Louis sat on the counter while Harry made them pancakes for breakfast.

"Your boss knows you're leaving tomorrow, right?" Harry slid a few pancakes onto a plate. 

"Mhmm. And he's agreed to count it as one week's leave instead of two because I promised I'd do some work while I'm in London."

"Seriously?"

"Uh huh. I'm his top employee, he's got a little soft spot for me." Louis giggled when Harry's eyes darkened possessively. "Don't worry, he's married."

Harry huffed. "Still. You're mine."

Louis laughed. "I think everyone knows, in all the office parties you've came to, you refused to let go of me."

"Well, _someone_ has to let them know you're taken," Harry shrugged, handing Louis his plate. "You want chocolate sauce or syrup?"

After breakfast, the two piled into the car with Harry in the driver's seat, as Louis rarely drove because Harry had deemed driving too dangerous for his baby. Louis didn't mind - it meant that he had his own personal chauffeur and could nap in the car whenever he wanted to.

They stopped outside Louis' office and Harry gave him a big kiss, cuddle, and promise to pick him up for lunch before he let Louis get out of the car.

"Bye bye!" Louis waved as Harry drove away and then walked into the building, ready for another day of work.

Harry arrived at his own office a few minutes later, sighing. Today he was supposed to have a meeting with a new client. Harry had never met him in person, but he had been on a few phone calls with him, and the client sounded a little difficult and annoying.

It turned out the client _was_ difficult and annoying and was giving Harry a really hard time. He kept complaining about minor things and refused to give Harry the proper information he needed. It was a frustrating back and forth that ended up nowhere and by the time lunch came around, Harry was so done with the client.

"Mr. Grimshaw, I'll see you after lunch to resume our meeting," Harry said as politely as possible. 

The client groaned. "Ugh. This meeting was supposed to end _before_ lunch!"

"I am aware, sir, and I am very sorry. The meeting has taken longer than expected." _And whose fault is that?_

Grimshaw grumbled. "Fine. I'll be back in an hour or so. We'd better be done by three o' clock, I've got better things to do than sit in an office in a meeting that's going nowhere."

"Of course, Mr. Grimshaw." Harry faked a smile and opened the door for the client. He couldn't believe Grimshaw was being so annoying - _he_ was the one being difficult and yet he was blaming Harry for an extended meeting.

So when Harry pulled up outside Louis' office for lunch, he was already in a rather pissy mood. 

"Are you okay?" Louis asked as he buckled his seat belt. "You look rather grumpy."

Harry pouted. "There's this client, and he's being a jerk. Our meeting was supposed to be over before lunch so I'd have the afternoon to work more on his case, but he wasn't cooperating so now our meeting is continuing after lunch."

"My poor Hazzie." Louis leaned over to peck Harry on the cheek. "I'm so sorry you have to deal with people like that."

Harry's frustration dissipated almost immediately when he received Louis' little kiss. The tiny boy never failed to cheer him up. "Thanks, boo." He reached over to interlace their fingers. "Let's go eat lunch."

The two ate at a little Italian restaurant, chatting and sharing their food before their lunch break was over and they had to go back to work. 

"Good luck with your client." Louis gave Harry a hug and a peck on the lips, then hopped out of the car. "Bye!"

"See you later, Lou." Harry smiled and blew a kiss as he drove away, back to his own office. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to face his client once again.

Turns out, Grimshaw was late. Harry was sitting in his office, slowly becoming impatient as he watched the clock. He'd sent several texts to Grimshaw and had even tried to call him, but to no avail. The client turned up two hours late, claiming he'd lost track of time at the restaurant.

Harry faked a smile. "No problem, sir. Now, let's continue, shall we?"

About an hour later, Grimshaw got a call. "Look, Henry, or whatever your name is, my buddy's invited me to a game and I gotta go."

"So we'll continue this tomorrow?"

"Yeah, right. I've got better things to do tomorrow, we're finishing this today. I'm going to my game and in the meantime you can do... whatever it is that you do... and when I come back we'll finish this."

"Mr. Grimshaw, with all due respect, your game will take several hours and by the time you're back my office hours are over," Harry explained. "Either you can not go to the game, or you can come back tomorrow."

"Hey! I make the decisions here," the client snapped. "We're doing this my way whether you like it or not. If you don't cooperate I will file a complaint and get your ass fired."

Harry gritted his teeth. "Very well, sir. I will see you after your game."

Thankfully, the game wasn't too long and Grimshaw was back in two hours, and by then Harry had completed everything he and his client had talked about. Hopefully, the meeting would end soon and Harry could go home and cuddle with Louis.

Unfortunately, Mr. Grimshaw was still as annoying, difficult, and arrogant as ever, and the meeting dragged on for hours. Harry had texted Louis to inform him he was stuck at work, so Louis rode a cab home instead and ate dinner by himself while Harry was in his office, trying not to punch his client.

Finally, at ten, Grimshaw said, "Alright, we're done here. I'm going home."

_Thank goodness_. Harry rolled his eyes and got up. "Great," he said shortly. He'd tried his best to be polite and cordial before, but he'd been stuck in his office for the entire day with an absolute asshole. He was tired, frustrated, and downright pissed. 

Without another word, he packed his things and left the building, getting into his car and driving home. All he wanted to do was eat dinner and go to bed.

When he got home, Louis was curled up on the couch, watching some television. "Hazzie! You're home!"

Harry grunted in response. "Where's my dinner."

Louis' eyes widened. "Oh! I thought you were going to eat dinner at a diner or something so I didn't make you some... I-I'm so sorry! I'll make you some now if you want."

Harry groaned. "Ugh. You're the worst. Whatever, I'm going to bed."

"Don't you want to watch some TV with me?" Louis asked. "It's the last night before I'm going to London for two weeks, remember." 

"No thanks, I just want to go to bed."

"Oh, okay." Louis said, voice and expression a little wounded. He wasn't going to see Harry for two weeks and Harry wasn't even going to spend their last evening together?

For some reason, Louis' wounded expression just made Harry snap. 

"Stop being so needy!" Harry said rather harshly. "You didn't even make dinner for me and now you want me to watch TV with you? You're so needy and clingy, and it's annoying!"

"I..." Louis shrunk back from Harry. 

"You always want kisses or cuddles and want me to treat you nicely and I've had enough! You're just like a stupid, dependent baby and I'm sick of putting up with you!" Harry yelled, voice rising as he got angrier. "I don't _care_ that you're leaving tomorrow! In fact, I'm glad I don't have to see your stupid face and put up with your neediness for two weeks!"

Louis' blue eyes filled with tears. "Hazzie, I-"

"I don't want to hear it! I'm going to bed and you better not sleep in our room tonight!" Harry stomped upstairs, leaving a very hurt and heartbroken Louis in the living room.

Louis had always been teased - and even bullied - for being a person that liked a lot of affection. His classmates called him a mommy's boy because he always held his mother's hand and received a lot of kisses and cuddles whenever he'd been good. A few of his rather nasty colleagues and "friends" had also made comments on how Louis was a needy person in his and Harry's relationship. All of this had fostered an insecurity in Louis, making him worry that people (especially Harry) didn't like it when he asked for affection and was clingy.

Harry, however, had always assured Louis that he was totally fine with it, and in fact even enjoyed it.

"I like taking care of you," Harry had insisted. "I don't know, it just comes to me naturally and I love it. I love you and I love kissing you and I love cuddling with you."

Well, Harry had always assured him, until today. Louis knew Harry had had a hard day at work and was probably feeling very frustrated, but did this mean those were Harry's true feelings about Louis' clinginess and everything he'd said before was a lie?

Louis sniffled as he thought about it. He wasn't in the mood for television anymore - all he wanted to do was curl up in his bed and cry. But Harry had told him not to sleep in their room, so Louis shuffled upstairs to the guest bedroom - a room that seemed rather cold and unfamiliar as Louis tucked himself in and cried himself to sleep.

The next morning, Louis woke up bright and early. He was leaving for London today, and he didn't want to miss his train. He was about to turn to the space next to him and wake Harry up, when he realized that he was in the guest bedroom, and the memories of last night flooded into his mind.

Tears threatened to fall again as Louis went to get ready. He wanted to stay in bed for another crying session but he really couldn't afford to. Maybe he could cry on the way to London.

After he was ready, he sneaked into their room, where Harry was still sleeping, to retrieve his bags. He forced himself not to look at Harry's sleeping form, not to see the person who'd broken his poor little heart. He needed to get out of their house as soon as possible before Harry woke up and went all ballistic on Louis again. 

Harry was supposed to drive Louis to the station, but since he was both asleep and hated Louis, Louis was now in charge of his own transportation. He called a cab and waited on their doorstep sadly.

He was supposed to feel excited about this trip - he was finally getting the chance to pursue his passion _properly_. Yet he was sitting on a doorstep and trying not to cry, trying not to replay Harry's words from last night. It was making him rethink everything - did Harry really love him? Did Harry really mean everything he'd said? Did Harry hate him? 

His thoughts were interrupted when a cab pulled up outside, honking the horn to notify Louis. Sighing, Louis lugged his bags over to the taxi and got in, glancing up sadly at their house as the cab drove away.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry was officially the worst boyfriend to ever exist.

He lay in his and Louis' bed, staring at the empty space next to him - the space that Louis should be in. Harry had woken up a few minutes before, frowning when he didn't feel a tiny body curled up next to him, then relaxing when he realized that _Oh yeah, Louis is in London_. He panicked again when he remembered that _he_ was supposed to drive Louis to the station, and then the memories of yesterday flooded into his mind.

Harry remembered the terrible day he'd had yesterday - his client, Mr. Grimshaw, had been a complete dick with no regard for other people's schedules, and Harry had allowed his annoyance at his client to affect him when he'd gotten home later that night.

_"You always want kisses or cuddles and want me to treat you nicely and I've had enough! You're just like a stupid, dependent baby and I'm sick of putting up with you!"_ Harry had yelled, voice rising as he got angrier. _"I don't care that you're leaving tomorrow! In fact, I'm glad I don't have to see your stupid face and put up with your neediness for two weeks!"_

Harry swallowed guiltily as he thought about his outburst. He shouldn't have projected all of his anger at Louis - Louis hadn't done anything wrong and had simply been asking for a few cuddles before he'd be leaving for London. 

_London._

How did Louis get to the station? Was he on his train? Was he okay? Had he gotten to London safely? And now that Louis was in London, what was going to happen?

Harry didn't know when or how he should apologize. Apologizing was always better in person, but Louis wouldn't be back for _two weeks_. In those two weeks Louis could meet somebody new in London, he could forget about Harry, he could decide that he didn't want to be with Harry anymore.

Harry choked up at that thought. _No_. He couldn't lose Louis. He scrambled for his phone, about to press on Louis' contact to call him, when he hesitated. What if Louis was mad at him and wouldn't answer his phone calls, or read his texts?

He sighed and put his phone down, getting out of bed and getting ready for work. He felt so guilty and he wanted, no, _needed_ to apologize - but the fear of being rejected was too great and he couldn't bring himself to call or text Louis. He had glanced at his phone several times while getting ready, urging himself to grow a pair and _just do it_ , but he just couldn't. 

Meanwhile, Louis was on his train, staring out of the window as he recalled Harry's harsh words from the night before. 

_You're just like a stupid, dependent baby and I'm sick of putting up with you!_

Louis sniffled, curling up into himself. He'd never seen Harry so mean and angry before, and it hurt to know that Harry had been so mean and angry _because of Louis_. Was Louis really that annoying? Did Harry hate him? He'd only just left, but Louis was already dreading coming back home - he was sure that Harry would break up with him and make him move out. 

Shaking his head, Louis mentally slapped himself. _No._ He shouldn't be thinking about Harry. He was going to _London_ , on a trip where he could properly pursue his passion and meet people who shared similar interests with him. He needed to focus and forget about Harry - he'd have to face him in two weeks, but in these two weeks he should enjoy this big opportunity.

But Louis couldn't help but think about Harry. When he got off the train, he recalled how he and Harry had promised each other to keep each other updated whenever they were away on trips. It wasn't anything big - just texting each other when they arrived at places so the other person knew he was safe.

Should Louis text Harry? He didn't _want_ to - Harry might still be mad and scoff at Louis' text - but a little part of Louis hoped that Harry wasn't mad and would be worried if Louis didn't tell him anything. Before he could stop himself, Louis grabbed his phone and texted Harry, _Arrived in London_. He stared at the message for a few seconds, before pocketing his phone and exiting the station.

*****

_Arrived in London._

Harry stared at the text message. Was this some sort of signal from Louis that he wasn't angry? But - maybe Louis was angry but just didn't want to break his promise. Well. At least Louis was safely in London. At least there was that.

Harry entered his office, waving a hello to his assistant as he did so. Luckily for him, Mr. Grimshaw wasn't coming in today, and he only had two clients to see. Turning on his laptop, Harry settled down into his chair and stretched, ready for another day at work.

*****

When he exited the station, Louis managed to get a cab and piled his luggage into the car.

"Where to?" The cabbie turned around and looked at Louis expectantly. Louis rattled off the name of his hotel, and the cabbie started driving.

After a while, the cabbie asked, "So, what're you in London for?"

"I've got a two-week art course here."

"Are you a uni student? No offense, mate, but you look a bit old to be in uni."

Louis laughed and shook his head. "Nah, I graduated a few years back. I've been doing an online art course and the professor picked me to go on the trip with actual uni students, so here I am."

"You're an artist, then?"

"Well, I guess so. Not a professional one, of course, but it's a passion of mine."

"It's nice that you're pursuing your passion," the cabbie said. 

"Thanks," Louis smiled. 

The two fell into silence again and Louis checked his phone. There were several texts from his mum and sisters, telling him to have a good time in London and that they were proud of him. Louis couldn't help but break into a wide grin as he replied to their messages, promising to drop by after the trip.

When Louis arrived at the hotel, he checked into his room and flopped onto the bed. Two weeks in a hotel was pricey but the university was paying for most of it, and Louis and Harry had more than enough money anyway - they'd worked hard the past few years to create a financial safety net, and now Louis could enjoy things like art trips to London.

He picked up his phone and texted Harry again, this time saying, _Arrived at hotel_. He bit his lip as he pressed send, seeing that Harry had read his previous message but hadn't replied. Maybe Harry was _really_ mad. Sighing, Louis changed into his pajamas and turned on the television, deciding that he'd stay in bed the rest of the day and watch movies. The course only began the next day and Louis didn't have much to do except make good use of the hotel's facilities.

*****

Harry was in the middle of a meeting when he got the text from Louis. He swallowed and pocketed his phone, trying to focus on the meeting, but he couldn't get the guilt and shame out of his head. He was the worst boyfriend ever - shouting at Louis when he hadn't done anything, and yelling things that had hit Louis right in his weak spot.

Harry knew Louis was insecure about being too clingy sometimes, yet he'd screamed at Louis for just that. 

_Shit._

Louis was probably doubting everything about their relationship and thinking that Harry hated him. Harry _didn't_ \- he was so in love with the blue-eyed boy and he didn't think Louis was clingy. But he was still too afraid to pick up the phone and apologize, scared that he'd be met by a cold Louis who would promptly reject his apology and tell Harry he'd found a new boyfriend in London.

So the week progressed just like that - both Louis and Harry were miserable, but they tried to put on their brave, happy faces. Louis would occasionally text Harry things, like when he'd first gotten to the location of the art course and when he'd gotten back to the hotel. Harry would read the messages but never reply.

On Friday, Liam, Harry's friend at work, popped into Harry's office during their lunch break.

"You've been looking pretty miserable all week, H. You okay?"

"I messed up with Louis."

"Oh. So you've got relationship troubles?"

"Mhmm."

"What did you do this time?" Liam sat down and raised an eyebrow.

"On Monday, I had a meeting with a client, Mr. Grimshaw," Harry explained. "He was an absolute douche and somehow managed to make our meeting drag on until ten. I got home and kind of... exploded, I guess. Louis left for London the next day and we haven't really talked since."

"You've apologized, right?" Liam took Harry's embarrassed silence as a no and groaned. "Harry! You haven't apologized?"

"Well, he's in London and I'd rather apologize face to face!" Harry protested. "Besides, he might still be mad at me, and ignore my calls or texts."

Liam rolled his eyes. "Harry, now is not the time to be doubting yourself. We both know what Louis is like, and by now he probably thinks you hate him."

"I know, but... ugh." Harry leaned back in his chair. "It's _scary_ , okay? I don't want to lose him."

"Look, Harry, I know apologizing is scary, but you've got a higher chance of losing him if you _don't_ apologize," Liam said frankly. "If you haven't said a word to him, he probably thinks _you're_ still pissed and all the things you said to him are true. You're the one who has to make the first move. Now, I'm hungry, are you coming for lunch?"

*****

That night, as he sat in front of the telly, Harry mulled Liam's words over. _You're the one who has to make the first move_. Harry didn't want to apologize over the phone, but he couldn't take waiting another week until he apologized.

Then an idea popped into his head. He grabbed his laptop and his credit card and began searching for train tickets.

He was going to London.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please give me your thoughts, opinions and feedback! they would be highly appreciated .x


	3. Chapter 3

It was Friday night, and Louis was exhausted.

His first week in London had been lovely - lovely, but tiring. The art trip wasn't just for anyone, it was for students that had been specifically selected by the professor, and only a few of them got to go. The course was intense and Louis was tired from staying up doing research, and spending late nights in the studio. It was only a two week course so they had everything crammed into a small period of time. 

During the course, Louis had met the other art students, who were all younger than him, but they all shared the same passion for art. Louis seemed to connect with one of his fellow students in particular - a guy named Benji, who reminded Louis of Harry. Benji had chocolate curls and green eyes, although not as pretty as Harry's - and Benji didn't have the same endearing charm as Harry either, but he and Louis bonded over their love of art.

Louis usually never connected with someone that fast, but seeing as they were both in an incredibly intensive course that made them spend practically 24 hours everyday in the same room, this time was different. Louis had even confided in Benji about Harry, since it felt better to talk to someone face to face, instead of talking to his sisters or friends about it over text.

Benji had never been to London, while Louis had been many times - both on trips with Harry and for work - so Louis had offered to show Benji around once they had a little free time. And their free time just so happened to be Friday night and Saturday, as they had to go straight back into learning and painting on Sunday.

"Louisss... I'm exhausted," Benji yawned. They'd gone out for dinner at a fancy restaurant, then Louis had brought Benji to several landmarks before they stopped by an ice cream parlor near Louis' hotel. All of that combined with a week's worth of minimum sleep had both gotten to them.

"Me too." Louis rubbed his eyes and blinked tiredly. He checked his phone to see if Harry had texted him or called, but there was still nothing. His heart sunk - it had been a whole _week_ and Harry hadn't said anything, plus he'd ignored all the texts Louis had sent. Harry must be really mad.

"Harry hasn't texted yet?" Benji asked sympathetically. 

Louis sighed and shook his head. "Nope."

"I'm sure he'll come around," Benji said. "It's probably because you left straight after, so he didn't really know how to approach you."

"He could just apologize over text."

"Hmm... maybe he doesn't want to?" Benji suggested. "I know that if my girlfriend and I had a fight, I'd rather apologize in person rather than over text."

"Yeah, but..." Louis turned his phone off. "He would've said _something_ , right? Maybe he's actually really mad and hates me."

Benji patted Louis' back. "From everything you've told me about him, he doesn't hate you. He _loves_ you. He probably just had a really bad day and took it out on you and then you left so he didn't really know what to do."

"Yeah, maybe." Louis sniffled, not really believing Benji's words.

"Come on, don't think about that. Let's go get some rest, I need to catch up on my sleep." Benji stood up and stretched. "Ugh. I am _exhausted_ , this course is absolutely nuts. And my hotel is ages from here! The cab fare will be so much and it'll be so long before I can get into bed and sleep properly."

An idea popped into Louis' head. "You can stay the night in my room if you want. My hotel's only a five minute walk from here, there's a couch you can sleep on, plus we're going to go explore London tomorrow anyway."

"Yeah, sure, then." Benji smiled. "Thank you! You're a lifesaver, Louis."

*****

Harry was going to London.

He needed to apologize to Louis. What he'd done was horrible, and it was even more horrible that he hadn't apologized for a week after he'd done it. Harry felt like a complete idiot for being too scared of rejection - he'd delayed his apology and now Louis probably felt unloved and upset. He couldn't stand another week of not talking to Louis, but he needed to apologize in person and not over the phone.

So he bought a ticket to London and started packing his bags. It was nighttime now and the train left the next morning, so Harry got all of his things in order and texted a few friends that he'd be gone for the weekend. When he was done, he set his bags by the door and crawled into the bed.

It felt so empty without Louis next to him. Usually on Friday nights, they would either be downstairs, sitting on the couch and watching TV, or curled up in bed and watching a movie on Harry's laptop when Louis felt more cuddly. Harry had been prepared to feel the empty loneliness since he knew Louis would be gone for two weeks, but not talking to Louis for a week, plus the knowledge that he'd exploded on Louis before he left, made the emptiness even worse.

Harry glanced over at the other side of the bed, where Louis would usually be tucked in, with his soft, messy hair and sleepy eyes. Louis would usually be wearing one of Harry's hoodies, which were way too big on him and made him look practically edible. Harry missed cuddling with Louis and talking to Louis and being with Louis in general. He couldn't believe he'd yelled at his precious little angel, especially when Louis had done nothing wrong at all.

Sighing, Harry lay down and turned off the lights, tucking himself in and settling down, waiting for sleep to come.

It felt like he'd only slept for a few minutes when his alarm rang. Harry groaned, reaching over to turn it off. He rubbed his eyes and lay there for a few seconds, before jumping up and realizing that he was supposed to go to London today.

He grabbed his phone to check the time, and quickly got out of bed. He didn't need to be up this early, but he didn't want to be late for his train. Besides, he needed to make himself look presentable for Louis.

He brushed his teeth and got dressed, making sure to look his best. He styled his hair just how Louis liked it - a little messy and tousled with one curl hanging in front of his face, and he wore an outfit that Louis had once told him looked really good on him. When he was ready, he grabbed his bag and went downstairs to hail a cab.

While he was in the cab, he got a text message from Liam.

_lima bean: are you finally going to apologize to louis?_

_harry the frog: yep, i'm going to london to do it face to face_

_lima bean: you better apologize properly, you've been a jerk for ignoring louis for an entire week_

_harry the frog: i know_

_lima bean: well_

_lima bean: see you at work then_

_lima bean: good luck!_

When Harry got onto his train, his phone started ringing. Harry quickly sat down in his seat and slipped his phone out. The name _Mum_ was written across the screen.

"Hi, Mum."

"Harry! I just saw your text from last night. Are you going to surprise Louis at his art trip?"

"Well, um... it's kind of a surprise?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Harry exhaled. "I mean... I messed up, Mum. I messed up the night before he left, and I wanted to apologize but I was too scared that he would reject me, so I didn't talk to him for an entire week. So now I'm going to London to apologize face-to-face."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Oh. Oh dear. Harry, _why_ didn't you apologize straight away?"

Harry stared at his lap guiltily. "Mum, I told you, I was scared. I-I was worried he wouldn't answer my texts or pick up the phone when I called him, I kept overthinking it and ended up ignoring him for a whole week."

Anne tsked. "Harry, that wasn't very wise of you. Well, at least you're going to London to apologize properly."

Recognizing that it was a sensitive topic, Anne switched the subject, and she and Harry spent part of the train ride chatting away. Harry spent the rest of the ride thinking about what he would do when he got to London. By the time he arrived, Louis would probably be awake. Harry had taken a peek at Louis' schedule before he'd left, and Louis didn't have anything to do today, so perhaps Louis would be spending the entire day in the hotel? They'd both seen London before, and Louis was such a homebody.

If all went well, then maybe Harry and Louis could spend the day cuddling and talking. If things didn't go well, then... then Harry would have to buy another ticket and go straight back home.

*****

Louis woke up to Benji shaking his shoulder. "Louis! Wake up."

"Go away," Louis groaned, swatting Benji's hand away. "What time is it?"

"Ten," Benji said after checking his watch.

"What? We're not leaving that early."

"I know, but I'm bored."

"That is no reason to wake someone up." Louis closed his eyes. "I'm going back to sleep."

"Whatever. I'm going to shower, is that all right with you?"

"Mhmm."

*****

Harry soon arrived in London. The sky was grey, threatening to rain, and Harry got into a cab and told the cabbie the address of Louis' hotel. He drummed his fingers on his thighs nervously, heart beating fast in his chest. He still wasn't sure how he was going to apologize - he supposed the apology would come naturally, but what if it didn't and he just stood there without talking like an idiot?

It began to rain quite heavily, and, unfortunately for Harry, when the cab arrived outside the hotel, it parked quite far away from the door. There was no overhead shelter to protect Harry from the rain and his umbrella was buried in the depths of his bag, so Harry decided to run for it.

He paid the cabbie and dashed out of the cab, running towards the main entrance. Even though he ran fast, he was still drenched by the time he reached the entrance. It would be romantic - something out of a romcom - except Harry was pretty sure he looked like a drowned rat.

He went to the hotel's bathroom and tried to dry himself, but he still looked pretty soaked when he left to go to Louis' room.

He ran a hand through his curls nervously as he got into the elevator. What if Louis was going to slam the door in his face? What if Louis was going to break up with him? 

The elevator _ding!_ ed and Harry looked up, realizing he was on Louis' floor. He got out of the elevator and found Louis' room. He stood outside, trying to calm himself. He _needed_ to do this, needed to apologize, and it was just Louis. Harry could be himself and explain everything to Louis, and Louis would understand. They've always understood each other.

He knocked on the door and heard the tell-tale sounds of Louis groaning and then shuffling out of bed. Harry grinned fondly - Louis had probably just woken up, and sleepy Louis was the cutest kind of Louis.

Louis opened the door and froze when he saw Harry. Harry managed to muster a faint smile and said, "Hey, Lou. Can I come in?"

At that moment, Benji had just finished showering and exited the bathroom shirtless, with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Hey, Louis, can you pass me my clo - oh." The words died in his mouth when he saw who was standing at the door.

It was Harry's turn to freeze. The smile disappeared from his face and he clenched his fists. In the one week Louis had been in London, he'd already found a replacement for him? "You know what - never mind." Harry started walking back to the elevator.

Louis' eyes widened once he realized what Harry was probably seeing. "Harry - wait! It's not what it looks like, I promise -"

But Harry had already broken into a run, wanting to get away as fast as possible. His worst fear had come true - he hadn't apologized in time, and now Louis had a new boyfriend.

The tears fell, even when he tried to stop them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! feedback is appreciated .x


	4. Chapter 4

"Harry, wait!"

Louis ran after Harry, but his short legs couldn't compete with Harry's long ones, and Harry had already reached the elevator by the time Louis had started running.

The elevator doors opened and Louis tried to run faster, but when he'd just reached the elevator, he caught a glimpse of Harry's tearful face and the doors slammed shut.

"Fuck, fuck, _shit_." Louis pressed the elevator button rapidly, heart rabbiting in his chest. "Come _on_!"

Luckily for him, there were several elevators and another one opened its doors. Louis rushed inside and pressed the button to go to the ground floor. He couldn't believe this was happening - Harry had come all the way to London to talk to him and then Harry had seen Benji and completely misunderstood the situation. Harry must be feeling so hurt and betrayed and Louis needed to explain _immediately._

The elevator doors opened and Louis saw Harry walking dejectedly out of the entrance and into the rain, without his umbrella. Louis ran after him and ignored the torrents of rain splashing down on him. "Harry! Harry, please wait -" His legs ran faster than they'd ever run before, and he managed to catch up with Harry. He grabbed his sleeve and said, "Hazzie, _please_."

By this time, Louis had started crying too. Harry heard the wobble and shakiness in Louis' voice and stopped, turning to look at Louis. Even if he felt so betrayed by Louis, he couldn't help worrying about him.

"Hazza, please, you have to listen to me, I can explain everything," Louis said between tears, ignoring the strange looks the passerbys were giving him. He looked ridiculous - still in his pajamas and barefoot, his hair incredibly messy.

"Who was that in your room?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice steady and cold. "Why the _hell_ was he in your room?"

"H-his name is Benji," Louis explained. "A fellow student at the art course. I offered to show him around London and last night we were both really tired and his hotel was far away, I was going to show him around today anyway so I offered to let him stay in my hotel for the night. N-nothing happened, I _promise_! He's got a girlfriend and I'd never do anything like that to you, Haz."

Harry was silent for a few seconds as he slowly realized he'd misunderstood everything. "Y-you didn't find a new boyfriend?"

"No! I'd never do that, I love you and you only. Please, Harry, you've got to believe me," Louis sobbed, terrified that Harry would break up with him. He'd had that fear for the entire week now, and this wasn't helping. It also wasn't helping that the heavy rain had soaked Louis to the bone and his thin, flimsy pajamas weren't really warming him up, making Louis shiver and his teeth chatter.

Harry noticed this and quickly wrapped his arms around Louis to warm him up, shuffling them back towards the hotel's entrance so they could find shelter. "C'mon, let's go inside. We both need to get dry and then we can talk, okay?"

Louis nodded, leaning into Harry's embrace and letting himself be led inside the hotel. The receptionist looked horrified when she saw them - probably because they were getting the floor all wet - and fetched a few towels for them. Harry wrapped a few around Louis in an effort to keep him warm, and used the leftover towel to quickly dry himself.

They took the elevator back to Louis' room, where Benji was waiting anxiously. At this point he'd put his clothes on, and he felt guilty knowing that he was the reason why both Harry and Louis had gotten upset. Granted, it was all a big misunderstanding, but Benji didn't want to be the one to break up a couple. 

When he saw a sopping wet Louis and Harry enter, he quickly stood up and excused himself. "Um, I'll - I'll go wait in the lobby or something." He grabbed his phone and left, leaving Louis and Harry alone. 

"I, um." Harry put his bag down and stood there awkwardly. "Do you, um, wanna take a shower first? Not like with _me_ , but um, you should get out of your wet clothes." 

"Um, yeah," Louis said softly. "Do you - do you wanna shower too?"

Harry swallowed. "Nah. I'm fine, I just need to change my clothes."

"Oh. Okay. I'm, um, gonna go shower now," Louis mumbled, shuffling away stiffly. When the bathroom door closed, Harry groaned silently in frustration. If he'd just waited for Louis to explain instead of misunderstanding and running away when he saw Benji, things probably wouldn't be so awkward right now.

He dried himself off and changed into a set of dry clothes, then he sat down on the couch to wait for Louis. The smaller boy soon emerged from the bathroom, dressed in one of Harry's large hoodies, and his hair soft and fluffy from being blow-dried.

"Can we, um, talk now?" Harry asked. 

"Yeah." Louis sat down on the bed, making Harry scoff and get up to sit on the bed so that they were close to each other.

"Lou, I'm _so_ sorry. What I said that night - I didn't mean any of it. You didn't do anything wrong and I'm so sorry for snapping at you," Harry began. "I'd just had an awful day at work and I was so tired and irritated that I took it all out on you, and I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I know you had a bad day at work and you didn't mean it, I just wish... y'know... you didn't yell at me."

"Yeah, I really shouldn't have done that," Harry admitted. "And, Boo, I'm sorry I didn't apologize sooner. After I snapped at you, I just went to bed and when I woke up you weren't there anymore... I wanted to call you straight away but I was so scared that you wouldn't pick up the phone or that you wouldn't forgive me. I-I kept overthinking things and somehow I just didn't apologize. I was so scared what you would do that I didn't really think about how you were feeling."

Louis sniffled. "I thought you were really mad at me and I thought you were going to break up with me... I tried to focus on the course but this week hasn't been very fun."

"I'm really sorry." Harry slowly reached his arm out and put it around Louis. Louis didn't protest and scooched closer to Harry."You've been looking forward to this trip for ever and I ruined it for you."

"S'okay." Louis rested his head on Harry's shoulder. "You didn't mean to."

"But I _did_. And I'm so sorry I misunderstood everything with Benji, I should have trusted you, you'd never do anything like that. I should have let you explain instead of overreacting." 

"Harry, it's _okay_. I know what it must have looked like. I trust you, but if I ever saw you in a room with a shirtless stranger, I'd overreact a little too. I might not run out into the rain, but I wouldn't exactly be calm about it."

"Mm." Harry bent down to press a kiss to Louis' hair. "Do you forgive me?"

Louis nodded and cuddled up to Harry. They spent a few minutes in silence, enjoying each other's warmth, before Louis lifted his head up to look at Harry. "I can't believe you came all the way to London to apologize."

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, well, one of the reasons why I didn't apologize sooner is that I didn't want to do it over the phone. It seems so... insincere, and I wanted to talk to you face to face. I talked to Liam about it yesterday, and after that I decided that I needed to apologize right away and that I wanted to do it in person."

Louis giggled. "It's so _romantic_. Like in a movie."

"A little." Harry smiled fondly at Louis' giggle. "You're so cute."

Louis turned a pretty pink, which prompted Harry to kiss him on the cheek. At that moment, Louis' phone notification went off, and Louis went to check it.

"Who's it from?" Harry leaned over Louis' shoulder to look at the screen.

"It's from Benji, he said he's going back to his hotel," Louis said. 

"Weren't you supposed to show him around today?"

"Yeah, but... you came."

Harry bit his lip. "Wait, tell him you can still show him around. It's his first time in London and he should have some fun, we can spend some time together once your course is done."

"You sure?" 

"Yeah. I can come too, so we can spend some time together, except your friend will be tagging along."

"Okay." Louis pecked Harry on the lips and then texted Benji. "When are you going to go home?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, I guess. I still have work, I should probably buy the train tickets." 

"I'm gonna miss you," Louis pouted. "It's kinda lonely sleeping alone at night."

"Yeah, it is for me too." Harry hooked an arm around Louis' waist and pulled him down so that they were spooning on the bed. "At least tonight we can share a bed, then it's another week of sleeping alone."

Benji soon came back to the room, where he was properly introduced to Harry. The trio spent the day exploring London - well, Louis and Harry brought Benji to places and let Benji explore while they were in their own little world, talking and laughing between quick kisses and gentle touches.

On Sunday, Louis accompanied Harry to the train station. He was especially clingy because Harry was leaving, and was cuddled up into Harry's side for the entire cab ride.

"Don't want you to go," Louis mumbled when they were standing outside the train. "Stay?"

"Sorry, honey, but I've got work. Besides, you'll be spending all of your time on the course and you wouldn't have much time for me even if you wanted to. Once your course is over, you can come home and we'll cuddle all you want, okay?" Harry pressed a kiss to Louis' forehead. 

"Hmph." Louis folded his arms childishly, and Harry couldn't help but coo. "Lou, the train's about to leave, I've gotta get on."

Louis sighed and got on his tip toes to kiss Harry. "Bye bye. I'll miss you, Hazzie."

"I'll miss you too, babe. Love you." Harry squeezed Louis' hip one last time before giving Louis a big smile and getting on the train.

As the train pulled away from the station, Harry spotted Louis standing on the platform, waving at him. Harry waved back, grinning. Louis's cheeks were pink and his hair was a mess and his blue eyes shone brightly as he waved, jacket flapping in the wind. He looked so adorable.

Harry kept waving, even as the train moved and Louis became smaller and smaller. He kept waving until Louis was a tiny, tiny dot in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was a pretty crappy ending but i hope you guys were satisfied with it!

**Author's Note:**

> please give me your thoughts, opinions and feedback! they would be highly appreciated .x


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